ComeToTravel.Bé.NYC.Diary#4

10.05.2011 ~ 11:00 NYC / a letter to you about my visit, up to now.

The Blues* is over. I appreciated that feeling. Either it was borring from time to time for me here in NYC. My friend Blanca has a lot to do these days, so I spend most of the time alone in the city, we share a breakfast or something practical, like helping her out for a set. Anyway I didn´t expected a tourist guide – Not my interest-. I am a bad tourist by the way, in the sense of tourism today. I am propably more exploring, feldrecording – than just an spectator. Before I came to NYC, which was a quit random, spontaneous decision, I was talking to Hermes about what to do when you arrive in a new place. We both came up with the belief that we would search ourself a little “Kiosk” or Cafe to go to each morning. And we would get to know the old woman or man selling us coffee. Thats what I did, the Italo Pizzaria here in Brooklyn is just that spot. The owner runs that spot since 40 Years. Good coffee and he knows that I want my Cappochino in ceramic cup, not to go like most people do. Hermes and me were talking about that we wanna get to know how life feels like in a foreign country. So second thing to do; keep on doing your criminal actions, like shoplifting, spraying, riding without a ticket, smoking pot, try to drink your beer outside the bar or gallerie, what would cost you 100$ – Don’t get me wrong – I am not trying to make you do those thingks*, but if you do then normaly and you wanna feel the spot, then – do it. So I did. Yesterday and the day before I met so nice and interesting People. Which is nice otherwise I would get lost in bordom. I met Mark Borthwick, a musican, writer, fotografer and just givin’n love fellow. I knew his work through a magazines that my mother used to read since the early 90th – Purple Fashion and other Fashion related books. Marks work is mostly about light, light in its very medium and meaning. The way he takes analog Fotos is basicly a very simple interaction that would inclued the coincidence into the Foto, he lights up the filmroll by opening the back of the camera. Mark and me gathered in his garden in a very nice area of brooklyn, very calm, bamboo – having tee. Our freestyle conversation went through different topics, like coming up with a question means giving birth to a thought that was not there before, or german filmmaker Werner Herzog and diverent genres of white trash culture, such as Harmony Korines film trash humpers. We skipped through my resent book “Béla zeichnet&fotografiert Pablo” as well as through his resent book. We talked about substance of life, of having just enough. This is something I could really feel in his work and through his personality. And I liked the Idea that even if you are a well known Artist you keep grounded and even more calm to breath freedom and to be able to spread that energy through your work into the world. –

Yesterday I met Paul Kennedy, an fotografer who made a book at Andy Lim´s Darling Publications. Paul is a very open, awake and somehow shy person. He has an big knowledge about Photography and ArtistBooks in general. He took me to DASHWOOD books in Manhattan, which is a bookstore run by David Strettell. David is big supporter for artist from a more city and streetrelated youth culture, he workes close together with artist like Ari Marcololous, Dash Snow or Ryan McGinlay. – I will bring some books back, keep asking me about. we can look through it “

Later the day, in the evening I met Mark again at a Fashion Collection opening, that he suggested me to go to. There I hat a criminal wodkasoda outside and a dangerous zigarette* . I am looking for good advices like mark gives me, where to go, where to meet the right, just right for me, people. So I followed his advice, enjoyed the evening with him. But I carried on, told him goodby and that we would see us on sunday at ZEBULON a music Bar in Williamsburh Brooklyn. He will perform his music in this bar. – So i carried on, 3 Wodkasoda, * and my music made me feel the way back to brooklyn. I spent the night till 3.am at ZEBULON having super intense musical moments and wonderful warm and familiar talkings.

So I am finally there, arrived in New York. From now on I will stay for more 6 days in here. I thought I would write something this time so I hope you enjoyed it so far, I may put some more drawings into my posts the next time. Below you see 4 printed matters from mark, a gift.

So hello to you in cologne and all the others, following ComeTogether Projekt – Travels.